After recently discussing where Oklahoma belongs in the grand scheme of the Southeastern Conference, let’s turn an eye to Oklahoma’s 2024 season and the various paths it could take. It’s no secret that Oklahoma has one of the hardest schedules in the country next season, and they’ll also be breaking in a new quarterback and an entirely new offensive line. Truthfully, the success of the offensive line could very well determine how well Oklahoma does as a team. If the new starters can protect Jackson Arnold and open up big holes for the running game, Sooner fans should feel great about reaching the nine or ten-win threshold. But poor offensive line play could make Arnold’s life a nightmare and may turn the entire season into a lost cause. But in this piece, we’ll look at the best-case scenario for the 2024 Oklahoma Sooners.
How Will the Offensive Line Come Together?
As mentioned before, the offensive line may hold the ultimate key to the Sooners’ fate next season. Oklahoma has to replace all five starters on the line after last year’s group graduated or moved on to the NFL. Under o-line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, OU has consistently had some of the best lines in the country, but he’s never had to conduct a complete makeover like he’ll need to this offseason.
Head coach Brent Venables did a good job of bringing in a lot of transfers to fill the holes on the line, although it’s still not clear who will win the starting jobs. It’s likely that transfers Branson Hickman (SMU), Febechi Nwaiwu (North Texas), and Spencer Brown (Michigan State) will earn three of the starting spots, but even though they have experience at other programs, they’ve never played together before.
Best case scenario: The o-line jells exceptionally well, regardless of who gets most of the snaps. They play cohesively as a unit, protecting Jackson Arnold from sacks and injuries and opening up massive gaps for the running backs.
Jackson Arnold’s Ceiling
Arnold has a chance to be the next great Sooners signal-caller. He’s got all of the tangibles and intangibles you could ever want in a quarterback, and he has playmakers around him that will make him even better. The only question that remains is: how fast will he develop?
He had a remarkably up-and-down game in the Alamo Bowl, turning the ball over four times. But he also made some great throws and scrambled effectively when he needed to. He’s obviously going to make some bad decisions next season, after all, he’s only a sophomore. But if he can minimize mistakes, he might just put up some video game numbers throwing to Deion Burks.
Best case scenario: Jackson Arnold is one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC and silences any critics he had by throwing for 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns and rushing for another 300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Billy, Billy, Billy! (And Friends…)
OU’s biggest win of the offseason may have been convincing both Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman to return for their senior seasons. Both have All-American and All-SEC potential, and their presence alone could be enough to make the Sooners one of the fiercest defenses in the conference. Now, that’s not to say that the other OU defenders don’t need to improve upon last season.
The team absolutely has to get more pressure on the quarterback, and Venables made strides in that department through the portal, most notably bringing in TCU transfer, Damonic Williams. Additionally, this side of the ball needs to be most consistent and not play down to its competition, but Sooner fans should be very intrigued about the talent and potential of the 2024 defense.
Best case scenario: Both Bowman and Stutsman end the season as First Team All-SEC players and the OU defense finishes as one of the best units in the country, giving Jackson Arnold and the offense plenty of time and space to grow and develop.
Where Can Oklahoma Be at Season’s End?
The Sooners do have a very tough schedule, but with the new College Football Playoff guidelines, there will be more room for error. Oklahoma has a chance to prove a lot of people wrong in their first season in the SEC. If everything goes right, they could win ten games and find themselves hosting a home playoff game in the first round of the CFP. That would represent a phenomenal season for Brent Venables and his squad, establishing the program as a legitimate SEC power and a playoff mainstay. A lot of things have to break right for all of that to happen, but the Oklahoma Sooners may just play their way into contention next season.
Main Image: BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
